Oars + Alps has achieved success in the growing Athleisure market with their powerful yet chemical-free product formulation, aiming to improve men’s skincare routines at an affordable price. Oars and Alps was acquired by S.C. Johnson. in 2019.
Oars + Alps has achieved success in the growing Athleisure market with their powerful yet chemical-free product formulation, aiming to improve men’s skincare routines at an affordable price. Oars and Alps was acquired by S.C. Johnson. in 2019.
Chicago based men’s skin care startup, Oars + Alps, winner of the 2016 Harvard Business School New Venture Challenge is entirely direct to consumer and offers allnatural premium products without the premium price. Founders Laura Cox and Mia Duchnowski saw an opportunity when their husbands would steal their skin care products since there were no all-natural skin care products designed for male skin. From there, they created Oars and Alps, simple, all-natural “no nonsense” products ranging from deodorant and face wash to beard oil and lip balm.
With a strong brand strategy centered around their all-natural formulas and the lifestyle of their “Oarsman”, Oars + Alps brings a unique value to a competitive market. An optional subscription and build your own kit model help to further reach this on-the-go target consumer. Oars and Alps is now in over 500 Target locations and in 2019 were acquired by SC Johnson.
Even with a modest inventory, E-commerce is the most essential component of the Oars + Alps sales strategy. They needed highly configurable flexibility found with larger platforms, without a large catalog to warrant the high associated costs. Additionally, with a goal to reach market in time for the holiday season and satisfy investor requirements, delivery had to be accelerated.
Oars + Alps engaged with the FarShore team to build out a new site that met all of their functional criteria and kept within the target timeline. The scalable Shopify platform was utilized to deliver these initial goals and accommodate growth of the Oars + Alps business over time. After successful launch, a dedicated FarShore developer was assigned to offer additional support for new features.
Architecture
Shopify Development